The Privilege of Flight

Flying (or any manner of transportation) was not included in the Bill of Rights. It is not owed to any of us simply because we want or even depend on it. It is a privilege that must be earned and paid for.

It’s funny how everything that’s available to people becomes a necessity, and soon slides into being regarded as a “right.”

As an example, I was sitting next to someone on a commercial airliner who was thrilled to find out that WiFi was available on the flight. Ten minutes later, there was a network issue that made his internet connection not work. He expressed absolute disgust and scorn that it wasn’t working. It’s amazing how quickly something that he didn’t know existed ten minutes ago had became a “right” and a necessity, simply because it’s human nature to take advantage of what’s easily available to us.

I’m guilty as well – there was a time when I took a commercial flight as a passenger twice a month. It was as regular as getting in a car to commute. I certainly took it for granted, and didn’t see it as a privilege, especially when it seemed inconvenient because I didn’t get the seat I wanted.

My job depended on getting where I needed to be, and I gradually started to see flying as a right, rather than a privilege.

Of course, I never lost my awe of the experience of flight. I also understood that the convenience, business opportunities, and personal relationships that are served by being able to be in a distant place much faster than any other means of traveling is profoundly powerful.

Since I've learned to fly, I understand (and will never forget) that flying is not a right. There is a price to be paid for the privilege of flying.

That price is paid not only in dollars and cents, but also in the currency of trust.

It takes money to fly.

Whether or not we wish it to be true, getting off the ground is an expensive proposition.

Whether you’re flying a kit airplane that you put together yourself, a private jet, or buy a ticket on a commercial airline, you’re supporting an industry that does the improbable every day. These folks build things that leave the ground, and they build them out of very ordinary materials. It behooves us to pay for quality when we can’t just pull over at the nearest cloud in case of a problem.

Fuel costs money. Most flying vehicles require some type of fuel, and most of them require a lot more than we would like them to.

People’s time costs money. And again, it behooves us to pay for skills that are above the ordinary in every aspect of flight. One commenter (jondean) in response to “In Defense of Elitists” suggested this:

Ok airlines, here is my deal, tell your passengers how little you pay you employees and then offer a voluntary contribution of say $5 per ticket to go straight to the hard working folks on the plane, you charge me for baggage, food, drinks, seat choice and for some even to use the bathroom so why not?

I don’t know about you, but I’d pay the five bucks.

For people who choose flying as a profession, there’s a huge outlay of money as they progress through the ranks and experience of private, instrument and commercial ratings. Anyone who isn’t born with a ton of cash will end up in debt by the time he or she is able to earn any money at all transporting empty planes or flying packages. It will take longer before you can earn more by flying people around.

Flying pays less than a lot of similarly skilled professions and it requires pilots and flight crews to hand over control of large chunks of their time, and spend a lot of days or weeks away from their families. Ground crews also bear huge responsibilities and literally have thousands of lives in their hands. We couldn’t, by rights, pay them enough for the privilege of flying safely. We trust their knowledge, skills, and good intentions.

The currency of trust.

Every time I get into my Skyhawk, I trust the engineers and manufacturers at Cessna to have built a sound aircraft. I trust our mechanic who keeps it up to speed. (Yes, I do preflight inspections, but that’s more to check what’s happened during or since its last flight.) I trust my instructors, whose voices still ring in my head as I run through each checklist and procedure. I trust the instruments. I trust the ATC folks to give me good information and instructions. I trust the F-16 pilots coming in and out of Hill Air Force base, because I sure as heck can’t get out of their way fast enough. “Skyhawk, maintain your present course and altitude, we know where you are.” Yes, sir, and roger!

When we fly commercial, we extend that trust to the pilot and crew, who are doing the flying for us. And we trust our fellow passengers not to do anything antisocial or dangerous. The pilot in command of an aircraft can still refuse to carry a passenger for any reason.

It’s pretty amazing, still, even knowing the physics of weight, drag, thrust and lift, to be 30,000 feet over the ground moving at a speed of 500 knots, while sitting in a chair reading a book.

Although we often forget it, flying is not a right. It is and always will be a privilege that comes at the price of money and trust.